Bashir Bashes Romney's 4th of July Holiday Plans, Gushes Over Obama's

On MSNBC, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee can't even get fair treatment when he takes a vacation.

Far from it, host Martin Bashir on the program hysterically bearing his name Monday absolutely trashed the Fourth of July holiday plans of Mitt Romney while practically swooning over what President Obama and his family will be doing (video follows with transcript and commentary):

MARTIN BASHIR: Every week is a good week when you’re worth around $250 million, but this should be especially good for Mitt Romney. That’s because the presumptive nominee is taking a break from campaigning. And he's spending the week at his family compound on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. That's where Mitt and Ann, along with their ever-expanding clan, are celebrating Independence Day. The lakeside retreat has already given us a rare glimpse of Mr. Romney attending services at the nearby Mormon temple where the family, 30 members strong, makes up a third of the entire congregation. Mitt’s campaign handlers are hoping that the weeklong holiday will show voters a different side of their candidate: less cutthroat corporate raider, more devoted family man.

But that brings us to the campaign's big problem because the more Americans learn about Mitt Romney, it seems the less they like him. It's already abundantly clear that Mr. Romney has plenty of love in his heart for his five sons and 18 grandchildren. What's not so clear however is that Mitt Romney has all that much love for anyone else. After all, this is a guy whose boat house, valued at $630,000, is worth more than three times the average American’s home. Yet his solution to the housing crisis is to let foreclosures continue and do nothing to intervene. It was the same with the auto industry and the same with the banking industry. As long as Mitt Romney can retreat to his compound, he'd rather not intervene in the challenges facing the nation. And remember, this is the man who wants to be president.

Compare that to this gushing and fawning report Bashir gave later in the program on the Obamas’ holiday plans:

BASHIR: The president and his family will return to the White House from Camp David I believe tomorrow and then get ready for the Fourth of July. What are they planning this year, because there's always something of a festival at the White House on July the Fourth, isn’t there?

KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS: Absolutely, and this year will be no different. Military personnel and their families will be here at the White House will be honored and celebrated. Of course, staff members will be invited to participate in events here at the White House along with their family members. There’s going to be a barbecue, a concert, and of course, fireworks, Martin. And it always draws a very big crowd. Hundreds of people. It's a really big celebration, really a special evening here at the White House.

BASHIR: And of course, the first family celebrates the birth of the nation on Wednesday. They also the birth of Malia. She's turning 14. Any word on birthday celebrations for her, what they’re planning?

WELKER: Well, the White House is as you know, very guarded about the girls and about releasing information about them, so we couldn't get any details about how Malia will be celebrating specifically this year. We can tell you that in past years, she has invited friends to Camp David, and of course the first family is at Camp David right now. So it's possible that they're celebrating as we speak. By the way, Chelsea Clinton back in 1996, celebrated a birthday at Camp David. Also played paintball with her dad. It’s always interesting to think about the fact that the president has to be a dad as well in the middle of being a president. So, despite everything that was going on last week, the president certainly has to mark his daughter's birthday. Take for example John F. Kennedy. His daughter Caroline turned five just after the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. So it's a juggling act, Martin.

BASHIR: Absolutely, and I think he does it with some skill.

At this point, I'm not sure there's much more to say other than MSNBC has become a 24-hour campaign network for the reelection of Barack Obama.

Has there ever in American history been a television channel so unabashedly campaigning for a presidential candidate?

Shouldn't every penny associated with this farce of a so-called "news" network be counted by the Fair Election Commission as a contribution?

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